Scrapbooking for Beginners!

Scrapbooking for Beginners!

When it comes to the arts & crafts/hobby world, there is one that has climbed the charts of popularity over the past few years. Scrapbooking calls out to a variety of people who, let’s face it, are truly sick and tired of cellphones clicking away, yet never producing PAPER copies of your grandchild’s photos. I realize that these electronic photos are simpler to use as backgrounds on laptops and backgrounds on the cellphones themselves, but they take away from the grandmother who wants to carry those PAPER copies in her purse to show off to others. But…I digress.

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Scrapbooking also appeals to all those out there who love to create and color, draw, and put together books on “topics” that are special to them. But, how do you begin that art of scrapbooking so that you can start making the perfect Christmas presents for everyone you love? That’s easy enough.

First, we talk about supplies. This is not an overly pricey hobby (although it can be for those who wish to go grand when it comes to weddings, etc.). For the basic scrapbook, supplies include: card stock and/or patterned paper, acid-free adhesive which could be tape or liquid, embellishments or stickers that coincide with the topic you choose, sharp scissors, your photos that you wish to include, page protectors, and the album, itself. Hobby Lobby is a fantastic store to find all kinds of these supplies.

Now…how to choose a topic for your scrapbook? There are millions of topics you can go with. You just have to remember that the art of scrapbooking is basically telling a story to others, so think about the moments or events in your life that you would like to share. And you don’t have to “go big” when choosing your topic. Such as, you do not have to put together a huge scrapbook of your life with your mate. Start small: trips, moments or memories you wish to treasure, things like that. And if you find that telling a ‘story’ is too hard, just pick a specific theme such as, a kid’s graduation, a birthday, or even a pet scrapbook that’s all about your love for the four-legged creature in your life.

When it comes to the size of a scrapbook, the two most popular formats are 12”x12” and 8.5”x11”. There are so many varieties of albums and papers that are already cut to these sizes, but keep in mind that a twelve-by-twelve layout will give you more space to add text, stickers, and other embellishments to a page with a picture that’s already 8.5 x 11”.

There is also no law, by the way, that you have to “go big” in this area either. There are mini scrapbooking albums that are a whole lot of fun to use. All the way down to a 4” x 4”. There are also albums that are round, rectangular, triangular – you name it, they’re out there.

Now, it is time to choose those perfect photos of yours. For this step, try to remember that less is more. The scrapbooking pages themselves will be lovely, colorful and most likely will already come with embellishments, so there is no need to include every photo you have on hand. Take the absolute favorites so that your scrapbook will end up being 100% meaningful to you. Choose the photos with the best lighting and focus and add more than just the smiley-faced ones. In other words, when choosing to do a scrapbook of that new grandchild, include shots or drawn pictures of the little baby hands and feet, a shot of their first Christmas, their favorite toy, etc. But make sure to save photos for the next project.

Why? Because, just as it is with that precious grandchild, one scrapbook will never be enough!

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Virtually every angler on the water these days is well aware that boat docks hold bass throughout the year. However, not all anglers approach dock fishing with the correct tackle and strategy to make the most of their time on the water. Fine-tuning your approach by reaching all fish-holding zones and identifying patterns can definitely lead to higher catch rates and bigger fish. Read More…
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